The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement was launched in 2010 as a result of growing global recognition that malnutrition is an underlying development challenge and the international system was failing to address it effectively.

Since then, 60 countries and 3 Indian states have joined the SUN Movement and committed to reduce malnutrition by aligning national nutrition priorities, amplifying the reach and impact of nutrition programming and scaling up nutrition in a more equitable and sustainable way. With the government in the lead, the SUN Movement Secretariat works collaboratively with SUN countries to engage civil society, donors, implementers, United Nations (UN) agencies, academic institutions and the private sector to improve national efforts to reduce malnutrition.

Stressing the need to target malnutrition to accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals, the SUN Movement Strategy and Roadmap (2016-2020) is the product of a collaborative dialogue between SUN countries, UN and donor agencies and other international and national non-governmental organisations and businesses. The Strategy highlights the universal impact of nutrition and sets out a Roadmap to catalyse multisectoral approaches to eliminate global malnutrition by 2030.

To realise this vision, the SUN Movement Principles of Engagement guide stakeholders as they work together in a multisectoral and multistakeholder space to end malnutrition in all its forms—but still allowing for flexibility whilst maintaining a common purpose and mutual accountability.

Within each SUN country, the government nominates a SUN Government Focal Point who convenes multistakeholder platforms, including the SUN UN Network, SUN Civil Society Network and SUN Business Network, to bring together actors across all sectors and all levels that are relevant for nutrition. This person spearheads the achievement of the four strategic objectives of the SUN Movement in-country:

• Bringing people together;
• Formulating a coherent policy and legal framework;
• Aligning programmes around a common results framework; and
• Establishing financial tracking and resource mobilisation mechanisms.

The SUN Movement Secretariat is based in Geneva and is responsible for liaising with SUN countries to move their nutrition agenda forward, and track and communicate progress in line with the SUN strategic objectives. The Secretariat is also a facilitator for cross-country learning and knowledge exchange through regional and global workshops, like the annual SUN Global Gathering.